HC dismisses BJP petition on Karpoori Thakur programme venue

The Patna High Court today dismissed a petition filed by opposition BJP against the Patna Divisional Commissioner for 'denying' an auditorium to the party on January 24 to celebrate the birth anniversary of socialist leader Karpoori Thakur but giving it to ruling JD(U) on that date.
Justice K K Mandal dismissed the petition filed on behalf of state BJP leader Mangal Pandey challenging the Commissioner's order alloting S K Memorial Hall on January 24 to JD(U) and not the petitioner.
S K Memorial Hall is an auditorium, stated to be the largest one in Bihar, which was established in honour of the state's first Chief Minister Sri Krishna Sinha.

Despite accepting application as well booking money from BJP, the petitioner said the Commissioner's office did not allot it to the party.
Government counsel argued in the court that JD(U) had given the application for the venue on January 24 much earlier than BJP and had also deposited money for it.
The counsel said the Commissioner's office gave BJP only receipt of the money they had deposited of the venue and not any allotment letter.
The court questioned the petitioner as to why it did not make JD(U) a party in its writ and why it challenged the order (non-allotment of the venue) close to date of the birth anniversary and not earlier when its application was rejected.

The judge then dismissed the petition.